Tag: peace

My heart is heavy today. Two acts of violence struck much too close to home yesterday.

Yesterday morning I was awakened early by a text from my husband saying, “Is Colt okay?” I was not sure what he was talking about, but my heart sunk as I saw that I had missed a text from Colton that he had sent me at midnight my time, after I had already gone to sleep. I quickly clicked it open and it said,

“Hey, I’m safe btw. There is a shooting at campus …”

Luckily my son was off campus at the home of some friends when the shooting took place and they ended up spending the night there. As details came in, we learned that the shooting had been in the area of his dorm building, so I cannot even begin to tell you how grateful I am that he had not been there. It was such a tragedy and a young student lost his life that night. It was a shock to the system so early in the morning.

My day started out on that note, but it certainly got better. It seems as though life carries on even when bad things happen. Then, at 4:15 I got a text from a friend in Dallas. It read,

“You aren’t in lower Manhattan on a bike today, are you?”

My initial gut reaction was a happy, “Are you in town?!” Unfortunately, it was not a happy question, but a concerned check-in. She was not in town, but was making sure that I was not on a bike path where, not that long ago, we had taken her and her husband out on a bike ride.

I jumped up and looked out my window and saw multiple helicopters in the air over the West Side Highway in Lower Manhattan, blocks from my home. I had been home for only a short time before her text and I was not even aware of the evil that had just taken place down the road from me … in my city … on a trail I walk, run, and bike on regularly.

I was shocked, sad, confused, distressed, and angry all at once. It is amazing how you can have so many strong emotions all at the same time. I feel so much sorrow for the lives that were taken, and those that were changed yesterday. Still just so hard to comprehend.

I don’t understand how someone can think so little of another human life. Where is the love? I feel so tired of hatred and violence.

I thought this song by Michael Franti was the perfect message today. I don’t think there is another artist who exemplifies peace and love quite like he does. I was able to see him live for the first time in January and know that it will be the first of many. I hope the lyrics of this song resonate with you like they do with me.

“What if this song was number one? Would it mean that love had won? Would it mean that the world was saved and no guns were being drawn today? …

What if everyone could say that it’s good to be alive today?

I will continue to count my blessings every day and continue to give my love to the world. It is good to be alive today. ❤

It’s Throwback Thursday! Today’s #tbt song is from the the 2001 album, Escape, by Enrique Iglesias.

It is difficult to believe that it has been 13 years since the 9/11 attacks. Today’s song always comes to my mind on this day.

I still remember the exact moment when I learned that a plane hit the World Trade Center. I was living in southern California at the time and had two small children home – ages 2 and 5. We have always been early risers and my kids were already up sitting at the kitchen table eating breakfast just before 6am, and my husband had just left for work. I had the Today Show playing in the family room and I remember hearing in the background that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. I immediately ran over to the TV and sat and watched as live coverage was shown. I called my husband to tell him and sat there with him on the phone as I watched live coverage of the second plane flying into the second tower, and then watched the towers collapse. It was an unbelievable moment and one I will never forget. I can actually remember feeling physically ill.

Sometimes the whole event is still so surreal. I often forget that there was life before 9/11. My children really have not known life before 9/11, being only 5 and 2 when it happened. There is certainly a post-9/11 world and that is their reality.

This song brings back all of those memories for me because I remember about a week later there was a 9/11 tribute show called “America: A Tribute To Heroes” that was simultaneously broadcast on all of the major networks plus other channels (totaling 35 stations!). It ran commercial free and was a telethon-style show that aired from three separate studios – Los Angeles, New York, and London – and raised money for all the victims of the tragedy. I remember sitting and watching every moment of that show with tears streaming down my face. It seemed that everyone was involved. I actually called in and made a donation 3 separate times that night as I was just so emotionally struck by the whole event – from the tragedy days earlier, to the outpouring of shock, love, and support from across the world. I think that is what I actually remember the most: People and the feeling of unity. It was truly amazing.

For some reason, this song really resonated with me and Enrique’s performance was so incredibly emotional that I have just never forgotten it. I wanted to share that performance with you today in remembrance of 9/11. I would love to hear your memories of that day and hope you will share.